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6th Grade Social Studies Study Guide
Measuring Time
Decade= 10 years
Century= 100 Years
Era= a large division of time
The --- ology’s
Archaeology---the study of objects to learn
about past human life
Paleontology- the study of fossils
Anthropology- the study of human culture and
how it develops over time
Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary—firsthand pieces of evidence, written
by the people who saw or experienced the event
Primary examples—letters, diaries, government
records, tools, clothing
Secondary—created after an event Secondary
Examples-- biography, textbook, encyclopedia
5 Themes of Geography
MR. HELP
Movement
Region
Human –
Environment Interaction
L ocation
Place
Economic Systems
Traditional economy—based on custom. Ex.
Hunter gather societies, tribes
Command economy—central government
decides what goods will be made and who will
receive them
EX. (Egypt and Mesopotamia)
Market economy—each person makes
choices about what to make, sell and buy EX.
USA
Mixed economy- government has some
control over what and how much is made
Early Man
Paleolithic- (Old Stone Age)- Nomads, huntergatherers , traveled in bands, lived in caves or
overhangs, used stone tools, bows and spears,
learned to make fire, spoken language, cave
paintings
Neolithic –(New Stone) Agriculture Revolution
begins, population increased, herded and
domesticated animals, specialization (artisans),
better tools for farming, art, written language
Export—goods shipped out of a country and
sold somewhere else
Import—goods and services that a country buys
from other countries
Barter—goods and services are traded for other
goods and services
Capital- money and goods used to make or do
things
Labor—the ability or people to do work
Sumer- city in Southern Mesopotamia
Sumerians—large walls surround each city
state, mud was main building material,
polytheistic—nature gods
Ziggurat- a large temple, the very top was the
holy place for the God
Upper Class- Kings, priests, warriors,
government officials
Middle Class- Merchants, farmers, fishers,
artisans
Lower Class- enslaved people ( war captives,
criminals and those who could not pay their
debts
Sumerian Contributions
Beginning of organized human society
Cuneiform- earliest writing system, wedge
shaped markings
Scribes wrote on clay tablets as the official
record keepers
Oldest known story- Gilgamesh (epic)
Inventions: wheel, carts, chariot, sailboat,
wooden plow, bronze, calendar -based on the
cycles of the moon
Math: used geometry to measure fields, place
value system based on 60(60 minutes, 60
second, 360 degrees), used division,
multiplication
Latitude—imaginary lines that circle the earth
parallel to the Equator measuring distance
north and south of the equator
Longitude- imaginary lines that circle the Earth
from pole to pole measuring distance east or
west of the equator
Physical Map—Shows land and water features
Political Map—Shows names and borders of
countries
Special-Purpose Map—shows themes or
patterns ex. population
Government
Direct Democracy- all citizens meet to debate
and vote on government matters. EX. Athens
Representative democracy – citizens elect a
smaller group of people to represent them,
makes laws and governs on their behalf EX.
USA
Oligarchy- a government in which a small
group has control
Ex. Sparta
Monarchy- government is led by a king or
queen
Theocracy-a government in which the same
person is both the political leader and the
religious leader
Mesopotamia ( Location)
“land between the rivers” “cradle of
civilization”
-Located in present day Iraq , between the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
-Area known as the Fertile Crescent
- dams and irrigation canals helped farmers
grow crops
Silt- fine particles of fertile soil
How did the Ice Age affect where people
settled in the Americas?
The ice ages created a land bridge from Asia to
the Americas. When the Ice Ages ended, people
were able to migrate to different regions.
Mesopotamian Empires
World’s first empire- King Sargon
Akkadians ruled Sumer and Akkad for 200
years. $ came from trade routes
King Hammurabi of Babylon (present day Iraq)
developed law code ‘eye for an eye’. Laws for
all parts of daily life ex. Crimes, farming,
business, marriage, family
Assyrian Empire (after Hammurabi) page 87
Large and powerful military who robbed, set
crops on fire, destroyed towns. Took tribute
(forced payments) from conquered people
-Used iron weapons
Similar law code as Babylonians—harsher
Nile River Valley
-Located in Egypt, fertile soil, longest river in
the world, flows north
-Surrounded by the Sahara desert, Eastern
desert ( helped keep out invaders
-cataracts (waterfall or rapids) keep out
invaders from the south
-delta – marshland helped keep out invaders
from the north
Egyptian Civilization
Farmers- planted wheat, barley, flax
Used canals, basin walls, shaduf
Gathered papyrus – weave rope, sandals,
baskets, river rafts, paper
Hieroglyphics- writing system made up of a
combination of pictures and sound symbols
Dynasty-line of rulers from one family
Social Classes
1. Pharaoh and his family.
2. Priests, Nobles, Army commanders
3. Traders, artisans, scribes, shopkeepers
4. Farmers and Herders
5. Unskilled workers
Egyptian Achievements and Inventions
Spinx- Monument built to honor one of Egypt’s
pharaohs
Great Pyramids of Giza- largest pyramid
located in Cairo
365 day calendar with 12 months
System of written numbers based on 10
Fractions
People of Ancient Egypt
Hatshepsut- Queen who ruled after her
husband died. Dressed in male pharaoh
clothing, wore false beard, built tomb ‘Valley of
the Kings’, improved Egyptian life through trade
Amenhotep IV( also known as Akhenaton)married to Nefertiti, started a new religion –Aton
( a one god religion)
People of Ancient Egypt
King Tut (Tutankhamen)- became pharaoh at
age 10. Worshipped many gods , Died at age
19. Tomb discovered by Howard Carter in
1922—Many treasures found. EX. Gold mask
Nubia- Kush
-Located south of Egypt along Nile
-Nubians formed kingdom called Kush
-Trading brought wealth, some of their rulers
were Egyptian
-Meroe- main trading center
-Kingdom defeated by Axum
Ancient Greece
Mountainous land, a peninsula
Greek city-states were called a polis
Agora- a gathering or market place
Hoplites- soldiers who fought on foot
Phalanx- a group or armed foot soldiers
arranged together in rows.
Zeus- the king of the Olympian gods
Oracle- a sacred shrine where a priest or
priestess spoke for a god
Illiad and the Odyssey- two epics composed by
Homer
Delian League
A group of city states formed this to protect
themselves from Persian
Ancient Greece: Sparta
A military society located on the Peloponnesus
Peninsula, farming society
-Oligarchy Government – 2 kings, assembly, and
council of elders
-Invaded other city-states and enslaved localscalled the helots
-Stressed discipline, leaders thought a military
society=obedient and loyal citizens
Ancient Greece: Athens
-center of learning and the arts
-largest city-state
-A direct democracy ( all citizens meet to
debate and vote )
-Pericles (leader for 30 years) appointed people
based on ability not social class
-women had less freedom
-large navy
Peloponnesian War ( 27 Years)
War between Sparta and Athens. Sparta
defeated Athens by making a deal with the
Persians. The war left the city-states divided
and weak.
Chaldean Empire
Conquered the Assyrians
Descendants of the Babylonians
King Nebuchadnezzar—Rebuilt city of Babylon
Hanging Gardens – terraced gardens with
complex irrigation system, believed was built for
his wife who missed her home
Invented the first sundial, first to follow 7 day
week
After King died series of weak kings, slow trade
and poor harvest weakened empire. Eventually
conquered by the Persian Empire
Egyptian Civilization
Pharaoh- title for Egyptian kings, believed he
was a god on earth
Afterlife- believed that life after death would be
even better than present life.
Polythestic – Sun God supreme
Embalm (mummified) -the process of treating
the body to keep if from decaying
Pyramids- burial tombs made of stone
Ramses II- Most successful, ruled 66 years,
increased Egypt’s wealth and territory.
Ancient Greece: Sparta
-Boys left home at 7 to train (harsh), joined arm
at age 20, could live at home at 30 , retired at
age 60.
-Spartan womens main job was to raise sons
who were brave , strong soldiers, had more
power because husbands were away at battle
Did not encourage the arts, did not welcome
foreign travelers
Greek Thinkers
Socrates-lived in Athens, believed in absolute
truth, asked questions. He was arrested for
urging youth to rebel against the government. ----Option was given to leave or die. He drank
poison.
Plato- student of Socrates, founded a school in
Athens called Academy, wrote the Republic.
Believed in 3 groups --Philosopher kings,
Warriors and the Poor
Greek Thinkers/Scientist
Aristotle-student of Plato, teacher to Alexander
the Great, taught the ‘golden mean’ = live
moderately
He was interested in government, astronomy,
and science.
Hippocrates- doctor – father of medicine,
created a list of rules about how doctors should
use their skills to help patients- Today doctors
follow the Hippocratic Oath.
Greek Scientist
Archimedes- established physics, explained
levers and pulleys
Eratosthenes- figured out the Earth is round
Euclid- Wrote a book that organized geometry
Ancient India
Subcontinent- large landmass that is smaller
than a continent
-Himalaya mountain range, Highest peak is
Mount Everest
-Three rivers, Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra
-monsoons- seasonal wind
Ancient India
Aryans migrated to India
-farmers, raised cattle, -- banned use of cattle
as food, lived in tribes
Raja- each tribe led by a prince
-developed Sanskrit language
Ancient Indian Society
4 Social Classes called Varna’s (Caste
System)
1. Brahmins- Priests
2. Kshatriyas-Warriors, rulers
3. Vaisyas- Common people (farmers,
craftspeople, merchants)
4. Sudras- unskilled labors,servants
*Untouchables- collected trash, skinned
animals, carried dead bodies
Guru- Teacher
What did Buddha teach?
The 4 Noble Truths
1. Life is full of suffering
2. People suffer because the desire
worldly things and want to satisfy
themselves.
3. The way to end suffering is to stop
desiring things.
4. The only way to stop the desiring was
the Eightfold path
Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama ( Buddha) Grew up a
prince, left his palace and was shocked at what
he saw-misery and poverty—He became a
monk, practiced meditation
Nirvana- a state of perfect happiness and
peace
Ashoka (Mauryan Empire)
-Chandra Guptas grandson, ruled central and
northern India
- grew to hate killing and became a follower of
Buddhism
-Created hospitals for people and animals
-built roads with rest houses and shade trees
-sent teachers out to spread Buddhism
-built stupas (Buddhist shrine- dome-shaped)
for worship
-allowed other religions to be practiced
Early China
-Developed around Huang He ( yellow river)
also called Chinas sorrow because of the
deaths it has caused with flooding
-Shang Dynasty—controlled northern China,
the King used warlords to govern the land, they
worshipped many gods and honored their
ancestors
-Zhou Dynasty- China’s longest dynasty
King ruled and the bureaucracy carried out the
government task
-Aristocrats governed territories
Mandate of Heaven- the belief that the Chinese
king’s right to rule came from the gods]
Alexander the Great
From Macedonia (north of Greece), became
ruler of Macedonia & Greece at 20.
-great military leader, defeated the Persian army,
conquered Egypt
-Built city of Alexandria, spread Greek art,
language, ideas and architecture
-died at age 32 of fever
-his empire was divided into for parts
Hellenistic Era- refers to the spreading of Greek
culture to non-Greek people
Ancient India
-Indus river valley, present day Pakistan
-Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were two major
cities
-oven baked bricks for homes, used wells, had
indoor bathroom, traveled to trade with
Mesopotamia
-area abandoned ? drought, earthquakes, floods
Hinduism
-Sacred writings are called the Vedas
-One universal spirit called Brahman
Three important Gods- Brahma the Creator,
Vishnu the Preserver, Shiva the Destroyer
-Belief in Reincarnation- rebirth of the soul
Karma- a force that decides the form that people
will be reborn into in their next life
Dharma- a person’s personal duty based on the
individuals place in society
Eightfold Path
1. Know and understand the 4 truths
2. Give up worldly things and do not harm
others
3. Tell the truth, do not gossip, do not
speak badly of others
4. Do not commit evil acts
5. Do rewarding work
6. Work for good and oppose evil
7. Make sure your mind keeps your
senses under control
8. Practice meditation
Chinese Philosophies
Confucianism- based on the teachings of
Confucius. Duty is the central idea. Belief in duty
and correct behavior and respect for education
-Golden Rule- Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you
-Followers wrote down his teachings- called the
Analects
Daoism- founded by Laozi- Give up worldly
desires in favor or nature and the Dao ( the way)
Legalism- founded by Hanfeizi, stressed the
importance of strict laws and harsh punishments.
Believe humans are naturally evil
Chinese Life
Social Classes
1. Landowning aristocrats
2. Farmers
3. Artisans
4. Merchants
Filial piety- the responsibility children have to
respect, obey, and care for their parents
Qin Dynasty
Qin Shihuangdi- “ the 1st Qin Emperor”
-ruled China with absolute control, and harsh
punishment
Unified China =one currency, one writing
system
-tomb housed life-sized terra cotta army
-began Great Wall
Han Dynasty
Founder- Liu Bang- a farmer turned soldier
Dynasty ruled more than 400 years
Han Wudi- strong ruler, started civil servicegovernment workers who were chosen on the
basis of competitive tests
-built schools for civil service, followed Confucius
teachings
Inventions: cast-iron plow, waterwheels, iron drill
bits, wheelbarrow, silk, paper, rudder,
acupuncture
Dynasty fell because later emperors were
dishonest and weak.
What were some of the reasons for the
spread of Buddhism in China?
Chinese Inventions and Discoveries
Silk Road
The Silk Road was not just one road. It was a
network of trade routes. The main trade link
between Asia and Europe. It was a way to
spread knowledge, culture, and religions.
Constantine the Great
By the fourth century AD, the Roman Empire was in confusion; it was running short of money and
facing increasing pressure from raiders pushing in from the borders. In one 50 year period, 26 emperors
reigned, and only one of them died of natural causes. At about this time a strong general named Constantine
took control of the empire and tried to stop its decline. . Although Christianity had long been outlawed in the
empire,Constantine legalized Christianity, and he ended the blood sports in the Colosseum. He also
established Constantinople as the capital of the stronger eastern part of the Roman Empire, while Rome
remained capital of the weakened western part of the empire Constantinople was a prosperous crossroads of
trade routes where Europe meets Asia. Today, Constantinople is called Istanbul ,and it is Turkey’s largest city.
Many Chinese inventions and discoveries continue to affect our lives today. Several Chinese ideas improved
travel and exploration. They include the compass and paddlewheel boats. Advances in papermaking and
Buddhism spread in China for religious reasons,
printing helped spread learning. Chinese porcelain became famous for its quality and beauty. The Chinese also
because it promised a better life. Buddhism also
discovered ways of making steel. The Chinese revolutionized military technology. They discovered how to use
spread for political reasons when the emperor and
gunpowder to make powerful weapons. They also developed the first rockets. A number of Chinese inventions
empress gave money to Buddhist monasteries and
enriched people's everyday lives. Among them are playing cards, paper money, and mechanical clocks. The
made a law saying that Buddhism was more
important than other religions. Buddhism also spread Chinese also made great strides in medicine and disease prevention. These scientific and technological
advances were often far ahead of those made in Europe. Several, such as paper and gunpowder, eventually
for economic reasons, since traders and merchants
made their way to the Europe.
who were involved with overland trade on the Silk
Road helped to spread Buddhist teachings as they
traveled.
Great Wall of China
Mandate from Heaven
Natural barriers protected China on three sides: oceans to the east and south, mountains and desert to
The Zhou dynasty took control of China in 1122 BC
the west. But, China’s northern border lay open to attack from Huns. The First Emperor ordered a number
and ruled for nearly 900 years. To give their
of individual walls joined together to form one great stone wall to defend China’s northern border from
government legitimacy, Zhou and later Chinese rulers
attack. Hundreds of thousands of laborers worked on the Great Wall for years, and many workers died under
claimed to rule with approval from the gods, a
the harsh conditions. Gates in the wall became centers of trade with the nomadic peoples who lived
mandate from heaven. Although this claim was meant
outside.The Great Wall was repaired and rebuilt a number of times over the centuries, and parts of it still
to enhance the emperor’s authority, it also established
stand.The First Emperor also built for himself a magnificent underground tomb, and nearby he buried a
the right to overthrow an ineffective emperor. The
terracotta army of life size soldiers to protect him for eternity. (Terra cotta is the brownish orange pottery used emperor was expected to protect his people by ruling
today to make flower pots.) One pit contained sculptures of 6,00 infantrymen
in a way that pleased the gods. If trouble developed
(foot soldiers), and a second pit held the cavalry (mounted soldiers) complete with life size horses, all
in the empire droughts or military defeats, for example
arranged in battle formation. Each clay soldier was modeled after an actual soldier of the emperor’s army.
people might say the emperor had lost his mandate
One of the great archeological finds of the twentieth century, the terracotta army was uncovered accidentally
from heaven, and the emperor could be overthrown.
in 1974 by a farmer digging a well. Hoping to find a way to avoid death, the First Emperor experimented with a
number of potions until he killed himself by accidental poisoning. The Qin Dynasty lasted for only fifteen
years, but it began a Chinese tradition of strong central governments controlled by powerful ruler.
Julius Caesar
Turmoil came to the Roman Republic following the Punic Wars. Small farmers could not compete with
cheaper agricultural products and slave labor imported from the conquered territories. Farmers lost their land
to rich landowners and drifted to the cities. Mobs of poor people rioted in the streets of Rome demanding
more power. Civil war broke out when a successful general, Julius Caesar, moved his army out of Gaul
(present day France) and marched toward Rome. Caesar won the civil war, and he had the Senate declare
him dictator for life in 48 BC, ending the Roman Republic that had existed for over 400 years.
Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15th) in 44 BC by his friend Brutus and other senators
opposed to Caesar’s dictatorship. Brutus and his fellow assassins wanted Rome to continue as a
republic. It didn’t. While some people believed Caesar was an arrogant tyrant, others gave him credit for
restoring order at a time when Rome’s republican government was no longer functioning effectively.
Rome: Republic to Empire
Location: Italian peninsula
Patricians: Rome’s ruling class
Plebeians: ordinary citizens-- artisans,
shopkeeper, owners or small farms
Triumvirate: a political group of three people
who share equal power.
Crassus, Pompey, Julius Caesar
Fall of Rome Chart
See Page 355 in our textbook.
Roman Life
-Wealthy Romans lived in villas on large farms,
most Romans were poor
- Colosseum- arena were crowds gathered to
watch gladiators fight each other or battle
animals.
-Engineers- built roads all over empire,
aqueducts used to bring in fresh water
Rome’s Decline/ Legacy
-Political confusion, economic weakness, and
invasions ( Germanic tribes and the Persians)
Legacy- Republican form of government, latin
alphabet, concrete, Christianity spreading,
Roman road system, Roman arch
Christianity
Christianity, a monotheistic religion based on the teachings and worship of Jesus of Nazareth, started in Judea. Writers wrote accounts of Jesus’ life in books called
gospels, which contained his teachings. Jesus based his teaching on traditional Jewish beliefs, but the gospels say he put special emphasis on love and mercy. After
Jesus’ death, one of his followers, Paul, became a Christian missionary and tried to convert others to Christianity. He preached across the Roman Empire, stressing the
need to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. At first, Christians were exposed to severe persecution by emperors who thought that Christians were a threat to the
empire. Gradually, people of all classes adopted the new faith. In 313 CE, Emperor Constantine gave Christians the freedom to practice their religion openly. Future
emperors also accepted the new faith. In 392, Emperor Theodosius I banned all pagan sacrifices. By the time he died in 395, Christianity was the official religion of the
Roman Empire.
Ghana
-first great trading empire in West Africa
-important crossroads for trade between the
Sahara salt mines and gold mines
-King charged taxes traders who crossed
-defeated by Mali
Mali
-Kings controlled the government, generals
were in charge of provinces
-built their wealth on the gold and salt trade
-defeated after Musa’s death by Songhai
Mansa Musa --Mali’s most famous ruler
-devoted to spreading Islam
-won the loyalty of his people by giving them
gold, property, and horses
-He took a journey to Makkah and met scholars
of Islam who returned to Mali with him who
spread Islam to West Africa
Zimbabwe
-known as Great Zimbabwe
-south of the Zambezi River
-Stone walls
-sold enslaved Africans
-coastal empire
Olmec
-oldest culture in Mesoamerica
-farming and trade
-located along the Gulf of Mexico
-grew beans and produced salt
-created centers for religious ceremonies
-most famous for colossal heads made of rock
Maya
-Located in southern Mexico and Central
America
-Mayan rulers treated as god-kings
-Strict class system- Kings, priests and nobles
at the top. Next farmers, artisans and hunters
(the tax payers).
-Practiced human sacrifice
-developed calendar to predict eclipses, when
to plant and harvest
-invented zero
-developed a written language
Marco Polo
In the 1270s he traveled with his father and
uncle from Venice to China. The meet the
Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. The Khan sent
Marco on fact finding trips all over China. He
wrote a book about his travels when he
returned to Europe
Aztec
-early Aztec were hunters and warriors
-swampy island in Lake Texcoco, built bridges
and floating gardens
-city called Tenochtitlan
-Montezuma –famous ruler, conquered much of
Mexico
-Society- Emperor-nobles-commoners-unskilled
workers-enslaved people
- developed two calendars
-practiced human sacrifice
Incan
-located in the Andes mountains (Peru)
-Pachacuti , famous emperor
- language called Quechau
-large road network, developed terrace farming
-rarely sacrificed people
- Built Machu Picchu, a retreat for the emperors
Emperor Charlemagne ( Charles the Great)
We begin to see civilization returning to Europe with the reign of Charlemagne, the Christian king of a
Germanic people called the Franks. The Franks gave France its name. Charlemagne established a large
empire in western and central Europe. After his armies defended the pope, the pope crowned Charlemagne
as the new Roman emperor on Christmas day in the year 800. When Charlemagne died, his empire was
divided among his three sons. Two of these kingdoms formed the general outlines of today’s Germany and
France. Charlemagne is remembered for his encouragement of learning: he needed reading and writing to
manage a large empire. Charlemagne established schools and surrounded himself with scholars. He
encouraged monks in monasteries to copy literature from the ancient Greeks and Romans; without this work,
much of what we know about the classical world would have been lost forever. Monasteries were Catholic
religious communities where monks raised their own food, operated schools and libraries, and copied books.
Mongols
How were the Mongols able to build a vast empire
across much of Eurasia?
army was skilled and well organized, rules promoted
loyalty and obedience; tactics involved brutality and
psychological warfare; built fear in those they
conquered
Medieval Time/Middle Ages
The Middle Ages or medieval time is believed to
have started with the fall of the Roman Empire in
476 and to have lasted about 1,000 years until
about 1450. The beginning of the Middle Ages is
called the Dark Ages because the great
civilizations of Rome and Greece had been
conquered.
Feudal Order
1. Kings and Queens
2. Lords and Ladies
Catholic nuns had similar institutions called convents, which were one place in Europe where women could
receive an education and live free of male control.
Why did Western Europeans go on
Crusades? The pope agreed to help the
Byzantine. He urged Western Europeans to
liberate Jerusalem from Muslim rule. He
promised those who might die in battle that
they would gain immediate forgiveness for their
sins.
How did feudalism restore stability to Europe
after the fall of the Roman Empire?
The Rise of Feudalism The fall of the Roman Empire
led to a time of uncertainty and danger. The feudal
system arose as a way of protecting property. It was
based on oaths of loyalty. Kings and queens gave
fiefs, or grants of land, to lords, their most important
vassals. In exchange, lords promised to supply
monarchs with knights in times of war. At the bottom
of the social structure were peasants (or serfs)
How did the Magna Carta limit the power of
the king of England?
Magna Carta was a document signed by King
John of England in 1215, which forced the king
to consult the nobility before raising taxes and
making it illegal to imprison anyone except by
order of a court. This idea is known as habeas
corpus. This is a right we still have today.
Why did feudalism end?
Three key events contributed to the decline of
feudalism.
1. Political developments in England, like
Magna Carta, helped shift power to the king
and the common people.
2. After the bubonic plague, the need for
workers to rebuild Europe led to a shift in power
from feudal lords to the common people.
3.The Hundred Years' War brought a rise in
nationalism in both England and France. It also
reduced the importance of nobles and knights
on the battlefield.
Vikings
Vikings were fierce warriors, traders and raiders from Scandinavia, present day Norway, Sweden and
Denmark. During the 800s and 900s, Vikings terrorized much of coastal Europe and traveled far inland by
river to loot, destroy, and slaughter. They fought the Franks among others, and they conquered Normandy
(land of the Northmen) in northern France where they settled down and converted to Christianity. Vikings
traveled the stormy North Atlantic in excellent ships that could also navigate shallow rivers. The Vikings
brought the adventurous spirit of ocean exploration to Europe. A Viking named Leif Erickson was probably
the first European explorer to discover North America, but little resulted from his visit
What roles did shoguns, daimyos, and samurai
serve in Japan?
Called samurai, these fierce warriors dominated
Japan for nearly 700 years. Samurai served shoguns
(military leaders of Japan) and daimyos (local
warlords). Over time, an elaborate samurai culture
developed. Samurai wore flexible armor, rode
horses, and fought with bows, spears, and swords.
They were well trained as fearless fighters. They
also studied literature and the arts. Many were
Buddhists. The discipline of Zen Buddhism
especially appealed to samurai.
What was Bushido?
Samurai were expected to live by a strict code that
came to be called Bushido. This code prized honor,
loyalty, and fearlessness in the face of death.
3.
4.
Knights
Peasants and Serfs
How did the Black Death spread around the
world?
It originated in Asia and was spread by a
bacteria spread by fleas. Rats carried the fleas
and caused the the disease to spread along
trade routes.
~ 38 million people in Europe died from Black
Death… about half of the population at that time
What were the causes of the Crusades?
• Turks (Muslims) conquered the Holy Land in
1071 & threatened the Byzantine Empire
• Byzantine Emperor Alexius I looked to Pope
Urban II for help
• Pope Urban thought this aid might help heal
split between Orthodox and Roman Catholic
churches & bring peace to Europe
• Pope promised forgiveness of sins and
salvation for those who agreed to fight in the
name of Christianity
What were the economic and cultural effects
of the Crusades?
• Increased trade
• Decline of barter system and increase in
money based economy
• Creation of banking industry to finance loans
• Exchange of culture- Islam comes to Europe
• Religious persecution & tension increase
Textbook Page 563
Samurai ( means -to serve)
Although Kublai Khan ruled China, he failed to conquer Japan. In 1281, he sent a fleet of over 4,000
ships and 150,000 warriors against Japan. Japan appeared to be doomed until two days of typhoon winds
destroyed much of the Chinese force. The Japanese called the storm kamikaze , or “divine wind.”
At this time, warlords ruled Japan, and Japan had a feudal system very similar to the system in Europe.
Poor farmers were bound to a land owning lord, and the lord protected his holdings with mounted
professional warriors called samurai. Some members of the samurai class became rulers in their own right.
What are the basic beliefs of Shintoism?
• Shinto (way of the spirits)
• Spirits in nature
• Kami
• Focus on this life
• Emphasizes essential goodness of man
Prince Shotoku (Japan)
● Ruled on behalf of his aunt
● Created a constitution-- Stated that the
emperor was an all powerful ruler.
● Some rules based on Confucianism
● Admired Chinese civilization
Hundred Years’ War
It might be said that two wars between France and England marked the beginning and the end of the age of knights and castles in Europe. The first of these wars was
the
Norman Conquest of England. In 1066, a duke from the Normandy region of northern France invaded and conquered England becoming the new English king, William
the Conqueror. William used knights to help win his victory, and the Normans built castles in England for protection from hostile locals. As a result, knights and castles
became more popular. Several centuries later, William’s descendants claimed the legal right to the French throne. This and causes led to the Hundred Years’ War
fought on French soil from 1337 to 1453. In battle after battle, French knights were defeated by English forces that included foot soldiers firing powerful longbows that
filled the skies with deadly arrows. Most of France had fallen under English control when an illiterate, teenage peasant girl appeared at the French court claiming that
voices told her how to save France. That girl, Joan of Arc, led a French army to victory over the English in a battle at Orleans, France in 1429. It was the
turning point of the war. The French continued winning and finally drove the English from France in 1453. This is why Joan is loved by the French as their greatest
patriot and why the English burned her at the stake.During the Hundred Years’ War, knights were made obsolete by English longbows and guns. Kings replaced
knights with paid armies. Castles became obsolete because cannons could destroy stone walls. The entire feudal system was breaking down as people in England and
France developed loyalties to their countries rather than to local lords. In the process, the modern nations of France and England were born.
Zheng He
In the early 1400s, Ming emperors sent Chinese
admiral Zheng He a Muslim and a eunuch on seven
great overseas voyages to demonstrate Chinese
power and to collect treasure. On his first, Zheng
He commanded a fleet of 62 ships and 28,000 men.
Some of his treasure ships were over 400 feet
long,many times the size of the ships later used by
Columbus. These expeditions traveled as far as
Arabia and east Africa, extending Chinese influence
over much of the civilized world. But Ming court
advisers began to argue that China could learn
nothing from foreign “barbarians,” and China’s
money would be better spent closer to home
improving defenses against Mongols and other
nomads. The ocean expeditions stopped, and
China’s fleet went into decline. China’s withdrawal
from ocean exploration opened the door for the less
advanced civilization in Western Europe to explore
and eventually dominate the world’s oceans
Renaissance (Rebirth) ( Italy)
Renaissance means reawakening or rebirth, and it
refers to a rebirth of learning from classical Greece
and Rome. In the late middle ages, Italians became
interested in learning about the glories of their
ancestor in the Roman Empire. They searched for
classical literature forgotten in monasteries, and they
acquired classical works from Muslim and Byzantine
scholars. During the Renaissance, people became
more secular, more interested in worldly than
religious matters. Florence and Venice became
important cities of culture and learning during the
Renaissance.
Reformation
Produced a new form of ChristianityProtestantism
Martin Luther-Luther wanted the Church to
acknowledge that it could make mistakes, stop
selling indulgences, and take responsibility away
from priests, and give it to Church members.
Leonardo da Vinci- Painter (Mona Lisa and
Last Supper)
Michelangelo-Painter ( ceiling of Sistine
Chapel)
Raphael- Painter (School of Athens)
William Shakespeare – Playwright
(Romeo and Juliet)
What will the questions look like?
Which statement shows how trade routes influenced ancient societies?
A As travel over land became easier, trade by water became unnecessary.
B As different civilizations traded goods, they also shared cultural values and beliefs.
C As trade developed, long-distance travel became safe and easy for each civilization.
D As silk grew popular, it became a common material used in clothing across civilizations.
Findings From Ancient Burial Sites:
About 8,000 life-size, terra-cotta clay soldiers were found about one mile east of the first emperor of China’s tomb.
Tombs in Egypt were found with tools, make-up, and clothing.
Source: Internet Ancient History Sourcebook, Fordham University
Based on the facts above, how were the beliefs of these societies similar?
A The rulers of ancient civilizations were buried in pyramids.
B Ancient people across civilizations did not appreciate the arts.
C The rulers of ancient civilizations appeared modest or humble in death.
D Ancient people across civilizations believed in preparing for life after death
Egyptian Myth of the Creation of the World I am he who came into being in the form of the god Khepera . . . I am the creator of everything which came into
being: now the things which I created, and which came forth out of my mouth after that I had come into being myself were exceedingly many. The sky (or
heaven) had not come into being, the earth did not exist, and the children of the earth, and the creeping things, had not been made at that time. I myself
raised them up out of Nu . . .
Source: Trinicenter.com, translation by E.A. Wallis Budge, 1912 The Egyptians had many myths about the world.
How did these myths reflect their values and beliefs about civilization?
A They told about the past leaders of the Egyptian society.
B They told about the gods and goddesses that they worshiped.
C They told about the military battles of the past Egyptian armies.
D They told about the great pharaohs from the three great kingdoms.
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